Sharpening apparatus for razor blades



May 23, 1933. B. G. MONTGOMERY 1,910,305

SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES I Filed Aug. 4, 1950 5Sheets-Sheet l May 23, 1933. B. G. MONTGOMERY 1,910,305

SHARPENING APPARTUS FOR RAZOR BLADES Filed Aug. 4, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2May 23, 1933- B. G. MONTGOMERY 1,910,305

SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES Filed Aug. 4, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet3 Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE B GABRIELMONTGOMERY, OF DJURSI-IOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO AKTIIEBOLl-M-E'll ORYG,OF GOTTENBORG, SWEDENLA-J'OINT-.STOCK COIJILHN'Y` .Y

SHARPENING APPARATUS FOR RAZOR BLADES Application led August 4, 1930,Serial No. 472,986, and in Sweden July 5, 1930 v TheV present inventionrelates to devices in sharpening apparatus for razor blades or the likeof a type where a pivoted blade holder mounted on a stationary shaft isarranged transversely relatively to a sharpening member slidable on aframe, box or the like in such a manner that the blade holder rocks orrotates automatically at the beginning of each stroke for the alternateworking of the blade edges when the sharpening member is slid inopposite directions alternately.

The invention has substantially for its object in a sharpening apparatusof this kind to facilitate continuous stropping or honing ofdouble-edged razor blades or the like on both sides of each edge andfurther to secure a uniform bearing between the edges of the razor bladeand the sharpening member at all points and thereby also keen and evenedges.

d The invention consists substantially of a motion transmitting devicearranged between the sharpening member or a part carrying the same andthe blade holder, said motion transmitting means being so devised thatthe blade holder may be caused to turn also after the sharpening memberhas been brought out of contact with the razor blade or the like.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two different devices of thepresent invention as applied to an apparatus formed into a casing or boxfor holding a safety razor or the like, said boX having a sliding lidcarrying the sharpening member.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the apparatus in longitudinal sectional elevationwith the lid on. Fig. 2 shows the saine as viewed fromabove; the lidremoved. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation on line 3 3 in Fig. 2.Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show longitudinal sectional elevations of a portionof the apparatus withthe removable stropping member in differentpositions relatively to the blade during the process of' stropping. Fig.8 shows a detail of the cover. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of theapparatus according to a modified device; the lid removed. Fig. is aninverted plan of the lid. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional elevation of theapparatus complete with lid.

In the device shown in Figs. 1-8, a boX or compartment formed from sheetmetal is designated by 1, the said box being of a rectangular basicshape its longitudinal side- .walls provided at their upper edges withguide flanges 2 forthe lid 3, which is slidable along the top of the boXand provided with illets 1- embracing the said guide flanges 2. The lid3 is furnished on its inner surface with aplate 6 provided with astr'opping member 5, the said plate being actuated by two transversalleaf springs 7 attached to the plate and bearing against the lowersurface of the lid, so that the plate with the stropping member will beresiliently arrangedvin the lid. The downward movement of the plate islimited by the friction roller 20. The movement of the lid when slid inthe direction from left to rght in Fig. 1 is limited by the dependingshort side 8 of the lid being caused to bear against the correspondingside 81 of the box, as shown in Fig. 1. The movement in the oppositedirection is limited by bosses9 at the other end of the lid cooperatingwith locking pins 10 projecting from the sides of the box. These pinsconstitute parts of plungers 11 slideable in a pipe 12 and actuated by aspring 13 keeping the locking pins in their `projecting position. To iiXthe lid on the boX` or to remove it, the locking pins must be depressedso as to let the bosses 9 pass freely.

Pivotally mounted in the boX 1 and parallel with its crosswise directionis a blade holder 14 for a double-edged razor blade 15 of known type.The said holder has the shape of a rectangular plate, which isplane-surfaced on the one side and provided on the other with clampingsprings 16 for the retention of the razor blade to the plate. Theseclamping springs are constructed so as to permit their insertion intothe two outside generally somewhat oblong holes in the razor bladewhereupon by displacement of the blade (clownwards in Fig. 2) theclampino' springs are caused toengage over .its surface as shown in Fig.2. The said blade holder 14 is provided at one end with a small pinion17 connected through intermediate wheels 18 and 19 mounted on one sideof the box with a small gear wheel 2O attached to a friction roller 21parallel with the blade holder. This roller bears against the stroppingmember provided in the lid 2 and is caused to rotate or rock inalternate directions through friction against the lid when the latter isslid to and fro along the top of the box. This movement is transmittedthrough the small toothed gearing to the blade holder 14, so that y thelatter rocks or rotates according to the movement of the lid and therebycauses the edges of the razor blade to bear against the resilientstropping member. The blades will then always be stropped with the edgesturned in the same direction as the honing member slides.

Connected with the blade holder 14 are two radially projecting arms 22which, as will be described more fully presently, have for their objectin a certain position to bring the blade edge out of contact with thestropping member. During vthe actual stropping operation these arms 22move freely in a longitudinal slot 23 in the plate 6 carrying thestropping member, whereas at the `end of the one stroke, when thestropping member is about to leave the edge'of the razor blade, the saidarms are caused to bear onf an inclined surface 24 formed at the one endof said slot 23 kas will be seen from Fig. 8. At the same end of the lidwhich is entirely open to facilitate its removal from and replacement onthe box'is arranged an abutment 25 in the extension of theV saidinclined surface for a purpose to be described more fully below. Thearms 22 extend beyond the edges of the blade.

VMoreover, the blade holder 14 is connected with a ratchet disk 26provided with two diametrically opposed lock teeth cooperating with aresilient pawl 27 fixed in the box.

The box 1 is furnishedwith two clamping springs 28 and 29 serving asretention members for a safety razor 30 of known type intended to bekept in the box. Furthermore, a container 31 for razor blades is formedin the box. y

The apparatus herein described operates as follows.

After the razor blade 15 has been placed in position` on the holder 14`in the manner previously indicated the lid 3 with the strop 5 is firstslid in a direction from left to right, one side of one 'edge being thusstropped, as will appear from Fig. 1. The lid is then pulled back theholder 14 with the blade 15 being rocked into the position shown in Fig.

4 by means of friction on the roller 21 and the toothed gearing 17-20.One side of the other edge is now being stropped. When the lid is pulledfurther back than shown in 5 so that the blade has no longer contactwith the strop the continued friction on the roller 21 rotates theholder 14 with the blade 15 about The backward movement of the lid islimited by the hooks 9 which bear against the locking pins 10 and theholder takes the position shown in Fig. 6. In order to prevent theblunting of the blade at the moment the strop 5 leaves the edge, seeFig. 5, the blade is moved out of contact with the strop immediatelybefore the edge is about to swing past the same by means of one of thearms 22 which slides onto the inclined surface 24 of the slot 23. Y

When the lid is again slid from the position 1n Fig. 6 for the purposeof stropping the other side of the edge last sharpened there will be atendency when the strop comes into contact with the friction roller 21to swing the blade holder back in a direction towards theposition shownin Fig. 5. This is prevented however by the ratchet disk 26 which hasnow been brought into engagement with the pawl 27 as shown in Fig. 6.The blade holder 14 with the blade 15 is thus retained inthelast-mentioned position until, in the first place, the abutment 25 onthe lid 3 comes into contact with the now upwardly directed army 22 theholder with the blade being then entrained and swung into the positionshown in Fig. 7. vAs stated, .the other side of the edge last sharpenedwill now be stropped, and when the movement of the lid is again reversedthe same side of the edge first sharpened will be stropped. By the lidbeing moved to and fro and by the blade holder permitting of beingrotated also after the strop has` been brought out of contact with therazor blade a continuous and yalternate working of both sides of eachedge is thus rendered possible.

If by inadvertency the lid is not moved so far to the left that thelocking device for the blade holder comes into operation when themovement of the lid is reversed the holder will be swung back in adirection towards the position shown in Fig. 5 but the arm 22 meets theabutment 25 on the lid thus turning the blade holder in the rightdirection while at the same time preventing the edge from being bluntedby keeping the blade away from the strop until the holder has regainedthe correct position for stropping.

By the fact that the stropping member is resilient in the directiontowards the blade a uniform and superior sharpness is ensured.

This ymay be further improved upon by causing the blade holder with theblade to move crosswise relatively to the direction of the stroppingmember during the stropping operation.

An embodiment of this type of apparatus is shown in Figs. 9-11. Itdiffers from that killustrated in Figs. 1-8 chiefly in the fact thatplay is provided in the direction of the axle of the rotatable bladeholder 14 the pivots 28 of which extend outside the walls of the boxland cooperate 'with slanting cams 29 on the fillets of the lid. Theguiding of the lid takes place as before by means of the guide ianges 2on the box. In order to maintain secure engagement between the toothedWheel 17 and the intermediate wheel 18 when the blade holder 14 with thegear wheel attached to it is moved in its axial direction, the twointermediate wheels 18 and 19 are made wider than the Wheel 17, as willbe seen from Fig. 9.

The details of the device may be subjected to alterations in regard totheir construction within the scope of the invention. For example, theapparatus, which in the embodiments shown is arranged for the sharpeningof razor blades, may also be used, with suitable alterations, for thesharpening of knives otherwise devised. rlhe casing or box may bereplaced by a frame, chape or the like, the lid carrying the stroppingmember consisting of a slide suitably formed for its purpose. Thetoothed gearing 17-20 that brings the blade holder into operation may bereplaced by a suitable friction wheel gearing. The guiding of the platein the slide or lid and also the spring arrangement in the box may bedevised in any suitable manner. Thus for example the springs in the lid3 may be formed directly out of the material of the plat-e 6, providedalways that the plate consists of a thin elastic material. To facilitatethe stropping of razor blades or knives devised in some other way theblade holder may be arranged to be exchangeable. Moreover, guide members22 may be provided at both ends of the blade holder, and the toothed orfriction gearings respectively may contain any even number of wheels.

lVhat l claim is 1. A sharpening apparatus for continuous stropping orhoning of double-edged razor blades or the like at both sides of eachedge, comprising a frame, a. blade holder rotatably mounted in saidframe, a friction roller mounted in said frame, the axis of said rollerbeing substantially parallel with the axis of said blade holder, agearing connected between said friction roller and said blade holder, asharpening member, means mounting said sharpening member for frictionalcontact with said roller and for reciprocation with relation to theframe transversely with respect to the axis of said blade holder tothereby rotate the blade holder, said mounting means providing a rangeof movement of said sharpening member which carries the latter beyondsaid blade holder when the sharpening member is moved to the end of itsstroke in one direction, whereby said blade holder is rotated throughsaid friction roller and gearing when the sharpening member clears theblade in said blade holder, and means for preventing a reverse rotationof the blade holder upon the reversal of the sharpening member at theend of each stroke in the said direction. Y

2. The invention as set forth in claim l, wherein said reverse rotationpreventing means comprises a ratchet disc rotatable with said bladeholder and a spring-actuated pawl pivotally secured to said frame andengaging said ratchet disc.

3. Apparatus for sharpening both sides of each edge of double-edgedrazor blades, and

of the type including a frame, a blade holder pivotally mounted onsaidframe, a sharpening member, means mounting the sharpening m-ember onsaid frame for reciprocating motion, and means actuated by the movementof said sharpening member for rocking said blade holder to presentalternatively to the sharpening member those sides of the two edgeswhich are at the same side of a plane passed through the cutting edges,characterized bythe fact that said mounting meansl limits the movementof said sharpening member on one stroke to prevent the same from movingclear of the blade holder and permits the sharpening member to passbeyond said blade holder when moved in the other direction on the nextstroke, whereby said blade BO GABRIEL MONTGOMERY.

